Taylor one of few bright spots in UConn's bowl loss

Sunday

Even with overcast skies and the short end of the score, the UConn football team found a ray of light in its 24-10 loss to Wake Forest in the Meineke Car Care Bowl on Saturday.

Even with overcast skies and the short end of the score, the UConn football team found a ray of light in its 24-10 loss to Wake Forest in the Meineke Car Care Bowl on Saturday.

Once again, Larry Taylor stepped up in a big game with a big play.

His 68-yard punt return in the first quarter gave the Huskies the lead. Taylor is no stranger to such returns. Four years ago as a freshman he returned a punt the same distance against Toledo in the Motor City Bowl.

“It feels real good,” he said of the return. “I started off my freshman year with one of these type of returns in a bowl game and I finished with one in a bowl game.”

Taylor said he felt “good” in his preparations during the week leading up to the game and was hopefully he would have a chance to be a playmaker.

He received Sam Swank’s punt and darted between two defenders. Taylor found a patch of open space and made his way down the sideline. Out ahead of Taylor was receiver D.J. Hernandez, who put a solid block on Swank, the last man standing between Taylor and the end zone. Once Swank was eliminated, Taylor ran the final 20 or so yards to the end zone.

Taylor was the second-most productive Husky with 103 all-purpose yards. Between he and Tyvon Branch’s 109 yards, the special team members fell one yard short of matching the total offensive output.

“I thought our special teams played very well (Saturday),” UConn coach Randy Edsall said. “And I feel they have gotten better as the year progressed. What Larry and Tyvon did (Saturday), they were excellent.”

Although the season didn’t have the ending the Huskies had hoped for, Taylor said the bad taste in his mouth will go away soon enough. The effort given by the team since the 2006 season ended was memorable.

“No one can take away the type of season we had and the things we accomplished this year,” Taylor said. “Overall, it’s been a great season. You look back and there are great memories with these guys.”